Shedding Denial
by CMW2
Summary: High School Fic:Lizzie and Gordo are still "just friends" but that's going to change very soon.Ethan and Kate have broken up and Miranda's making her move. And just what's up with her and Tudgeman?;Rating for future intimacy;11th in my 2010 SSS Project;ON HIATUS BUT WILL BE COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Okay, new fandom and new WIP. I'm ready. My Spring Break is ending tomorrow so I want to get this started before I have to go back to school to prepare for the dreaded Finals with a capital F. **

**A kind citizen on YouTube put up every episode of Lizzie McGuire plus the movie so now, my muse is craving Lizzie/Gordo goodness. There are few fics up but I want to toss my cap in too. Our heroes are in high school, Junior year, and there will be intimacy, both physical and emotional between not only Lizzie and Gordo but other characters. Some will be positive, others negative. I'm not sure yet.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 1 and let me know if you guys want more.**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

"And what is this…?" an evil voice asked.

Her hand snapped out and grabbed the reaching wrist, ready and willing to snap it like a dead twig.

"My ceramics project. Touch it and I will save what's left of the Gene Pool.", she hissed.

Her free hand picked up a pair of scissors and the evil grin on her face spoke volumes as did Matt's terrified yell for their mother.

"Lizzie, don't threaten your brother with castration. Matt, leave your sister's project alone. Is your algebra done?" Jo McGuire asked while she layered lasagna noodles into a dish.

"Well…it's a work in progress…"

"_**Matt.**_"

"Yes, mom."

17 year old Lizzie McGuire or Liz chuckled as the 8th grader hedgehog slouched upstairs and continued painting her cookie jar. Gone were the half assed "Our Friend…" posters and essays of old. Liz had buckled down after Rome. She was not going to spend all four years of high school grounded and struggling. Now, she was no Tudgeman or Gordo but the last time she checked, she was 5th in their graduating class. _**5**__**th**__**!**_ It was pretty awesome! It was high enough to catch the attention of scholarship givers but not high enough for her to have to give a speech.

Without a speech, the chances of her falling and destroying the stage (8th grade, anyone?) were less than nil, especially if she wore flats instead of heels...and if she wasn't forced against her will by an evil teacher.

Her cell phone buzzed and she carefully put it on her ear with her forearm, since she had crud all over her hands. The last thing she wanted was to have to scrape glaze off her phone...again.

"Hello?"

"_Liz, you are not going to _**believe**_ what happened at the Digital Bean!"_ Miranda Sanchez's voice rang out.

"Kate and Ethan broke up _**again**_. What happened **_this_** time?" she asked with an amused shake of her head.

Kate Sanders and Ethan Craft were the ultimate break up to make up couple. They had been "over, over, _**OVER**_!" about 20 times this school year alone and it was only October.

"_Something about him running over her Manolos with his car or some other crap but the point is that he's __**single**__!"_

"For about a day! Rand, you _**know**_ that they're going to get right back together and I really don't have a crush on him anymore. Sure, he's cute and he smells nice but he's more of a friend than a potential husband, now. If he's single, it doesn't have a thing to do with me."

Her crush on Ethan had died after the trip to Rome, as well. Dealing with Paolo had taught her that all that glitters really is not gold. Plus, he was Kate's man, whether he liked it or not. He wasn't sure if he liked it. Kate had to tell him he did. Liz couldn't deal with a guy like that.

"_So, that means I can go after him without you sending a Dwarf Lord hex after me?"_

Apparently, Miranda could. More power to her…

Liz laughed and assured her, "No hexing from me. Kate might try something but if I had to bet on who'd win in a fight between you two, I'd say you and not just because you're my best friend. Kate only fights with words. You fight with words _**and**_ nails _**and**_ fists."

"_Heck yeah, I do! You still working on your ceramic thingie?"_

"I'm almost done. I just have to paint the roses." she replied as she turned it.

The cookie jar was a deep blue, covered with sunflowers, daffodils, butterflies, and roses. Ms. Sly said that it was definitely competition material. The deadline was Friday and if she finished the glazing before Thursday, she could get in on it. Not only would it look good on her college applications, there was a 500 dollar prize for 1st place. 500 dollars with Liz could last for months.

Thanks to her mother's timely lesson, she no longer went after brand names at retail price. She was a thrift store "gargoyle" as Kate and the other Elite put it and very proud of it. She also worked at the car wash near Hillridge Junior High, hand drying the cars. It was hard, sometimes back breaking work but it was a paycheck. Plus, she got to work with wet and sweaty hot men: every teenage girl's dream!

"_Cool. Look, I gotta go and finish those questions for Marcincavage so you and Gordo are on your own for Movie Night. I hope you don't mind."_

Mind? Why would she mind? Spending time with David Gordon was not a burden at all. After returning from Rome, they didn't get together like boyfriend/girlfriend but they had become closer. They had many of the same classes and the same lunch period so they could be seen eating together. A lot of people, including Miranda, paired them off constantly and Tudgeman had even taken to singing "Secret Lovers" every time he saw them. Not to mention the betting pool. Last she checked it was up to 700 bucks with Gordo making the first move and 800 with her making the first move.

While it had become a running joke, Liz was starting to think that maybe…maybe being with Gordo like that wasn't such a bad idea. He already knew her, her family loved him (even the Hedgehog), and he wouldn't hurt her. At least, not on purpose. And puberty had been very nice to him. She had seen him shirtless during co-op gym and...well...**_me-ow_**.

"_Mission Control to McGuire! Come In, McGuire!"_

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, Miranda. It's cool. Your English grade is more important than watching Zombies, Pirates, Ninjas, and Robots fight to the Death in space and time. Me and Gordo will be fine without you."

"_I bet you will…"_ she leered.

A deep sigh racked her body and her eyes nearly fell out of her head from rolling yet again.

"Miranda, Gordo and I are just…"

"**In total denial!**_ Liz, do us all a favor and just kiss the man again! __**He**__ will thank you and The __**World**__ will thank you."_

"_**Goodbye,**_ Miranda."

"_Secret lovers…that's what we are…"_

"Like you and _**Tudgeman**_…kissin' at the **_par-tay_**…" she sang back mockingly.

Miranda's indignant squeal may have shorted out the speaker on her phone (again) but it made her hang up so it was a worthy sacrifice. How was she supposed to get this done and get ready for her date with Gordo if she kept distracting her?

**Date?**_** But, you just said that you and Gordo were **_**just friends**_**. **_**Just friends**_** don't date… Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, McGuire…**_

Great. Now even her inner voice was against her. It _**wasn't**_ a date! It was just two close, opposite sex friends getting together to watch a straight to DVD Epic. If she wanted to look nice and smell nice and put on her good bra then it was her prerogative. It was also her prerogative to anticipate his arm around her waist and the brushing of their fingers as they reached for the popcorn at the exact same time. She could think of his smell, his warmth, and his lips all she wanted. It was a free country! It was a democracy! God Bless America and all that good stuff!

And it wasn't a date!

Kind of…

Sort of…

Oh, hell. Who was she kidding?

It was a date with Gordo…_**David**_…and she was excited!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay, it's time for Chapter 2. I love Gordo. I loved him when he was just adorable and I love him now that he's all steamy. I also love how devoted he really was to Lizzie, even when she treated him like dirt. That's what I call loyalty and love.**

**The main plot of the story is going to center around a stable couple (L/G) in the midst of drama both high school related and friend related (Miranda vs. Kate for Ethan, Tudgeman's (not so) one sided feelings for Miranda and hatred of Ethan) and the usual family stuff.**

**This will cover both junior and senior year so this is going to be quite a fic. At least 20 chapters.**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

"Thanks for the lift, Tudgeman."

"No problem, man. I don't providing transportation so you can see your Lady Love. It's romantic."

David Gordon's crystalline eyes nearly fell out of his head from being rolled so often.

"Lizzie is _**not**_ my Lady Love. She is just my friend and if you start with the _**Song**_ again, I'm going to take the wheel and run us both into a ditch." he threatened flatly.

"Aw, come _**on**_, Gordo! You and Lizzie been together ever since Rome. You guys just haven't done anything fun with the togetherness and by fun, I mean _**naked**_ fun."

"What do _**you**_ know about _**naked**_ fun, Tudgeman?" he asked skeptically.

"Quite a bit, thank you! I stole my mother's copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover and I have a lifelong subscription to Cosmo! I am _**ready!**_ All I have to do is just find a willing nubile female…that is not the spawn of Medusa…or Veruca."

Gordo shook his head with typical Tudgeman related amusement and subtly checked his reflection in the side mirror. No zits, nothing was hanging out of his nose, and his teeth were clear of scraps of his bologna sandwich. Excellent. He straightened the collar of his usual over shirt and leaned back into the vinyl of the Pinto.

Other than a much needed (and appreciated) growth spurt, he hadn't changed much from 8th grade. Well, he had bulked up. He wasn't like the Governator in his prime but he wasn't a string bean either. In fact, he was considered hot by many of the girls at Hillridge High. He had been asked out by a few but he had said no, saying that he didn't want to be too distracted from his schoolwork and his filming.

The truth was that he only wanted one girl: Lizzie McGuire.

Everyone was half right. He did have major feelings for Lizzie. It was well beyond a crush or typical lustful 17 year old boy feelings. No, it was the real deal. It was the big, skywrite-a–heart-over-the-White House, give-a-kidney, go halfsies on a baby sort of feelings. He was 100% stupid in love with the woman and had been for years. That was certainly true. What he wasn't sure about were her feelings for him.

Rome had brought them closer but for some odd reason, they hadn't taken things to a boyfriend/girlfriend level. His best guess was that they just weren't ready, yet. They were young and about to change everything from schools to music tastes. Unconsciously, they had decided to preserve their friendship in order to be a buffer for all of the upheaval. It had been a good idea and just because they weren't sucking face every ten seconds didn't mean that they weren't close.

Ever since Lizzie had improved her study habits, she had gone from Queen of the Bs to pulling enough As to get into advanced courses with him. They also had the same lunch and were both in A/V Club. She did the audio due to her connections with the drama and music departments and he stuck with film. They were the go-to people for Pep Rallies and Senior DVDS. They were known as The Dynamic Duo, leading back to Larry's point.

For intents and purposes (other than kissing and…other things), he and Lizzie had been together for years. Why shouldn't they just add the physical to the equation?

_**Because she may not see you like that. Because you are not like Aaron Carter or Frankie Muniz or that asshole paper boy or even Ethan…you're Gordo. Her **_**friend.**_** You may just be projecting your feelings onto her actions in order to give yourself hope that you won't be a 40 year old virgin…**_

The voice in his head never helped him when he needed it to.

"Okay, dude. Curve service. Enjoy your movie with your just a friend." Tudgeman announced as he pulled to a stop in front of the familiar white and black house.

"Thank you. I will." Gordo replied as he climbed out of the 80s death trap.

"Have naked fun, my friend! May the Force of Love be with you!"

Gordo slammed the door with an irritated snarl and frowned as Larry's maniacal laughter rang long after he had driven off.

He didn't know whether to kill him or thank him for putting the images in his head.

_**//////////////**_

"_Lizzie, Gordo's here!"_

Her heart stopped for a beat and then began to race in her chest like she was running a marathon.

All of her clothes were piled on her bed but she ended up in a long black flowing skirt and her dark green tank top. She had busted out the good bra, though and she had put her hair down. She remembered seeing his eyes linger on her a little harder every time she did when they worked together. They darkened from sky blue to a unique Gordo blue for an instant before some sort of shield went up. Then he would look away guiltily and there would be pink on his cheeks until one of them (usually her) did something random or just plain dumb to cause the tension to leave in laughter.

It always came back, though: the Gordo blue and the tension. She was sick of fighting it. The more she thought about being with him, the better it sounded. It wouldn't be a whirlwind or forced. It would natural, right, and everything a woman looked for in a relationship, whether they admitted it or not. There was no point in denying them both what they wanted…

"I'm coming, Mom!" she called back as she put on her house shoes and went downstairs.

Matt was at the bottom and he quipped, "More like your _**boyfriend**_ is here. I wonder what mom and dad would have to say about…"

She picked him up by the scruff of the neck and gently put him in the hall closet, closing the door with a firm snap. Over the years, she learned that arguing with Matt was just a waste of time. Simple action worked better because he was usually too shocked to yell for mom. Continuing on, she saw him sitting on his usual stool, talking with her dad.

He had jeans, a Nirvana t-shirt, and his usual Gordo over shirt. His hair was all over the place as always but she could still see his face. The light played over his skin so it glowed and his lips (full and pink) were curved in a brilliant smile, one that only brightened when he saw her.

A warm shiver went down her spine as his eyes darkened and she came over, hugging him in greeting. He squeezed her and let her move away to make popcorn.

"Hey."

"Hey. Larry says hi. He dropped me off."

"I was wondering why you smelled like vinyl and 8 tracks. What's he pursing now?"

"Nubile young females in order to use his _**Cosmo **_granted skills."

"Ah…Tudgeman." she chuckled while shaking her head.

"Yeah, I know. I'll be in the living room. Nice talking to you, Mr. McGuire." Gordo said as he withdrew.

As she moved to go after him, a hand on her arm stopped her. With a confused frown, she looked at her dad. He looked pleased but solemn all at once.

"What's up?"

"Nothing….just be…don't…"

"You and Gordo have a good time. Just not too much of a good time at once." her mom said with a sheepish smile, one mirrored by her dad.

She made the connection instantly.

_**My parents have just granted me permission to go after my best friend and eventually get naked with him but not now. I don't know whether to be relieved or horrified.**_

"_Liz, come on!"_

"Keep your underwear on, Gordo! I'm coming!"

"_It's laundry day! I'm not wearing any underwear!"_

The images of battle on the TV screen would pale in comparison to the delicious images she now had in her head.

**//////////////**

"Those two are totally going to hook up."

"No way! They've spent the whole film trying to kill each other!"

"They're hooking up, McGuire. I'm willing to bet on it."

"Bet what?"

"The loser has to do whatever the winner wants. No questions, no hesitations."

She seemed to be hesitant and he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you do anything illegal…or with mustard."

"I said I was sorry! And I didn't force you to do it, you came up with it on your own! Anyway, you're on! Get ready to lose, Gordo!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"_**Fine!"**_

Both of them dissolved into laughter that turned into Jerry Springer _**"Ohhs…"**_ as Keiko, the Ninja Queen blasted Anthony the Pirate King through a space station bulkhead. The two of them had broken away from the melee after the Robots self destructed but before the Zombies started eating each other. They had been the source of much of the dialogue of the movie and they were actually pretty hot. In fact, they were like them. Only Gordo bathed regularly and she didn't have a cool blaster glove thingie.

Keiko unsheathed a katana and launched herself into the air, stoically silent as always because she was a ninja…a female _**ninja**_…wasn't there a designation for female ninjas? That sounded like a research project in the making… Anthony just laid there and she frowned as a broad smirk curved Gordo's lips. She knew that smirk. That was his "nyah-nyah, I was right!" smirk. Liz hated (loved) that smirk.

Sure enough, the smirk was well deserved because Anthony kicked the katana away and grabbed her firmly by the arms, pinning her underneath him. Keiko whimpered as he ground against her and the air between them became charged with something else as the onscreen enemies made out like randy teens at the Prom.

"I thought this movie was PG, Gordo." she remarked as the two heroes stood up and stumbled towards a conveniently placed bed.

"It is but you know how movie ratings are. They lie."

They watched as the scene faded to black and switched to their comrades, still fighting in the cargo bay, oblivious to the passion between their illustrious leaders.

"Okay…so you won. What do you want me to do?"

"Kiss me."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

"Um…"

"You agreed to the bet, McGuire and I want you to kiss me. I've wanted you to kiss me for years but I was too lame to come up with a better pretense than this." he confessed with a self depreciating laugh.

Liz smiled at him and replied, "Well, then I'm just as lame as you are."

"We can be lame together." he suggested hopefully.

_**Will you be my girlfriend? Please?**_

_**Duh…**_

"Only if you kiss me."

Her heart burst with joy and pleasure as he did just that.

_**//////////////**_

He had been obsessed with things before.

Filming, food, Mr. Petus' Bs, Dwarf Lord…none of them compared to the woman in his lap right now.

Liz tasted like chocolate, like the rich people kind of chocolate and like love. She was warm and smelled like mint and oranges. She moaned as he squeezed her and he smiled as he felt flesh and not ribs. If she started that "Does this _ make me look fat?" stuff, then he'd gently reminded her that he liked his women with meat on them.

He'd probably be slapped for his trouble but hey, he wouldn't be her Gordo if he didn't say stupid, assholish things sometimes.

Unable to ignore the need for air anymore, he broke the kiss but started in on her neck, feeling her racing and skipping pulse. She shuddered and pulled his face away, bringing their gazes together.

"How…why haven't we done this before?" she wheezed.

"Because we're idiots."

She stood up on shaky legs and he followed after her, holding her up as her knees buckled. He pressed light kisses to her lips and she dug her nails into his shoulders, causing him to hiss in pained pleasure.

"We're going to be idiots together." she declared with the same firmness that he remembered from junior high when it came to Ethan Craft.

"I'd like that. I'd really like that. Hey…we missed the ending of the movie."

"For a good reason. Let's just be kind and rewind. Yeah, I just said that and no, I'm not ashamed."

A damn good reason, he agreed. Lizzie McGuire was his girlfriend.

Even though he missed the ending of a C-list movie and proved Tudgeman (and everyone else) right, he wouldn't undo this for all the money in the world.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks for your positive responses and patience, you guys. I'm on summer vacation (Like a BOSS) so I'll have much more time on my hands for writing.**

**Okay, here's Round 1 of Miranda v. Kate, along with the introduction of the Tudgeman plot line. L/G are still around but more in the background for now.**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

Kate Sanders was pissed.

Her favorite pair of Manolos were ruined, she had lost the bet in the McGuire/Gordo thing (couldn't they have waited another week?), and now…now _**Miranda**_ was sniffing around Ethan. It was unacceptable! Although her time in Mexico had given her foreign popular appeal and that she had finally gotten pretty, Ethan was _**hers!**_ Even when they were over, he was hers and Kate protected what was hers. Well, except for her poor Manolos…

"Excuse me, just what do you think you're doing?"

Sanchez glared at her and replied, "Nothing that concerns you. I'm just having a friendly conversation with Ethan. Soo, I heard that you're single again, Ethan. Are you interested in someone?"

"Uh, _**no**_, he's _**not**_!"

"Um, Kate? Sweetie, this is an A an B conversation. C your way out. Besides, he can speak for himself. Can't you, Ethan?"

"Yeah…yeah, I can! I'm single, Miranda. Want to eat lunch together?"

'That would be awesome. Want to walk me to my homeroom?"

"Righteous. I gotta congratulate my man Gordo, anyway."

Kate's jaw dropped as they walked off arm and arm and she could feel tears of jealousy and rage prick her eyes. She had ended it with Ethan just because she knew she could without him running off with someone else! If she had known that Sanchez would be so persuasive, then she would've never done it! Well…fine! If Miranda wanted a war, she'd get one!

Ethan Craft had belonged to her since 7th grade and no hussy would take him away!

It…was…on!

_**/**_

Larry shook his head with disgust at the scene and continued unloading his backpack.

Miranda deserved better than some bumbling airhead with epic hair. She deserved someone smart, someone would treat her right and someone who wouldn't get her into a cat fight with Kate freakin' Sanders every 10 seconds! What was so damn appealing about Ethan anyway? He may be nice to look at but he had no soul no substance! He was a vase, easily shattered and cracked.

He slammed his locker and stalked upstairs towards the computer labs.

Why did he care? It wasn't like Miranda did. It wasn't like the Kiss had meant anything more than an experiment to her. She had found him, sober and willing, and they had talked and danced and done everything that couples did, igniting the smoldering embers of his love for her. Then, she had kissed him but unfortunately, someone had opened the pantry door, revealing them to all the partygoers and breaking through their bubble.

He had hoped that she would show a spine, that she would go against the crowd and let herself be happy, be accepted by him.

Of course not. Why? Because he was Tudgeman and he was "unpopular" meaning, "undesirable". All he was to her was nothing….except for the quick little glances she gave when she thought no one was looking.

Now, Larry would freely admit that he was a couple of candles short of a birthday cake but he knew longing and fear when he saw it.

Miranda was afraid of him, not for the usual reasons, but because he was everything that any "self respecting" Hillridge girl stayed away from. Going out with him would make her an instant pariah. Social status ruled the day, not something that could become love…

He fucking hated Ethan Craft.

He fucking hated high school.

Most of all, he fucking hated her for breaking his heart once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hi. I'm so sorry for going off the grid with this fic but a lot of stuff's been going on, ranging from the death of my writing computer Bruce (he's alive and well now. My parents just need to get their tax refund so he can come home) to starting school again (senior year, like a BOSS) to being sick (like I am now, unfortunately). But, no matter. I'm getting my edge back. I hope you guys are still out there reading and I thank you all for your patience and understanding.**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

She could feel him watching her.

Even as she was surrounded by crowds of curious people and even when she sat with Lizzie and Gordo at lunch, she could feel his persistent gaze on her. She was used to it, now. It had been on her for 5 years now but it still disturbed her. Not in the disgusted ways of old ("two feet!") but in a new, confusing way. Miranda didn't get it. She was with Ethan Craft, her wet dream since middle school so why did she feel so sick? Why did she feel so warm when Larry Tudgeman looked at her from across the room?

And why was it making her…wet?

Miranda was no prude but she wasn't experienced by any means. The furthest she had gone was heavy making out with Larry. God, Larry…kissing him had been like fire. It was gentle, rough, wet, and perfect but he was still Tudgeman! He wasn't popular or even popularly unpopular. He was just…him. He wasn't afraid to be just…him, something that Miranda both hated and envied all at once. All she did was give a shit about other people's opinions. That was why she followed the music trends, the fashion trends, and hell, that was why she had done that ill fated starvation diet back in 8th grade. Thank God Lizzie and Gordo had been there to stop her…

"Ms. Sanchez!"

She jumped and saw Mr. Kingston glaring at her from the head lab table, much to the snickering delight of the class. Looking around, she saw that she was the only one sitting at a desk and that everyone was in the back at the tables, working diligently on…what were they working on?

"Welcome back to the land of the living. Now, if you could stop daydreaming, you can go and work with Lawrence as I've been trying to make you do for the last 5 minutes. Unless you'd like to discuss this after class…", he barked.

"N-no sir. I'm sorry."

Miranda put on a pair of goggles and moved to the table near the window. Larry was silent as he measured out portions of sodium and she took the opportunity to look at him. Gone was the striped t-shirt and unwashed hair. He had on a black and green striped shirt, a pair of dark wash jeans, and brown sandals, since it was still warm out. His hair was grown out into a mane of waves and she found her fingers itching to run her fingers through the dark brown strands….what was burning?

"Miranda!" he gasped as her sleeve caught fire.

She squeaked but he pulled her arm away from the burner quickly, putting her wrist into a sink full of cool water. He was very close to her and she could smell Irish Spring. Ethan used Old Spice and a little too much at that because she always felt like sneezing when he held her. Not like Larry…

"Damn. Miranda, we have to get you to the nurse, okay? It's not a bad burn but it'll hurt worse if we don't get it sterile."

She nodded dumbly and let him lead her down the hall, denying that her racing pulse had anything to do with his presence. Nope, it was just the adrenaline of being burned in class and ruining her shirt. It had nothing to do with the tender way he held onto her or the blazing concern in his dark chocolate gaze…

"Nurse Faith, may I speak to her for a sec? I'll be sure to get her back to class before the bell."

The kind old woman nodded and shut the door behind her, leaving her on the exam table.

"You've been out of it all day."

"I…I'm fine, Tudgeman."

"Liar.", he snapped softly. "Look me in the eye when you say that."

Feeling miffed, she looked at him head on and her mouth went bone dry. She remembered the look in his eyes from that pantry. She had gone in to get Cheez-Wiz and found him reading a book. They were at the party of the year and he was reading a book in the pantry like a nerd. She had shaken her head with Tudgeman related amusement and turned away to find what she needed. Then, he had kissed her. Out of nowhere with no words, he had grabbed her with both hands and kissed her fiercely. She had struggled a little but then found herself matching him pressure for pressure, tongue for tongue, nipping brutally at his lower lip…

A kiss of that same dizzying intensity landed on her mouth and regardless of her status of Ethan, she kissed back hungrily, the confusion exploding into lust. What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just get past that damn pantry, this damn boy…_**man?**_ Ethan Craft was the Holy Grail of Guys around here. Why was she throwing it away for Tudgeman?

"When Ethan puts his hands on you, puts his pretty boy lips on you…you'll think of me.", he rasped as he pulled away.

"What the fuck…"

"We need to get back to class."

And then he was out the room, like nothing had happened. Miranda watched with indignant rage as he filled at two new hall passes for them and snatched hers out of his hand, storming down the hall, wiping frantically at her mouth. She told herself it was because her lip gloss had gone dry. She told herself that it was just to get it off but her heart knew better.

She was trying to erase Larry Tudgeman from her thoughts and from her desires.

It wasn't working.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Good afternoon, everyone. My FFN summer 2012 project (other than attempting to work out regularly again) is to update and finish some cruelly neglected stories of mine. I really hope there are still readers out there after all this time and that you guys enjoy the update. **

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

"_Miranda, do you have feelings for Tudgeman? Like legitimate ones?"_

"_**I don't know!** That's why I'm calling you two!"_

"Rand, don't yell. Gordo's question is a good one and you need to think about it. Or just be honest about it. Do you have feelings for Larry or not?" Liz asked pointedly, carefully filing her nails.

"…_I'm with Ethan, now. I have to see if…"_

"_Miranda, it's not fair to you or Ethan if you've got feelings for someone else. Besides, we all know that Kate's gonna come up with something convoluted and cruel to get him back from you. As usual, it'll be an ACME dynamite kit that'll blow up in her face in the end but you don't deserve to get caught in the blast. And Larry's a good guy. I'm not saying that Ethan isn't but I think Larry will be better for you emotionally in the long run…**ugh**, I can't believe I just said that with a straight face! You women are turning me into Dr. Phil!"_

Liz laughed at David's fondly disgusted grumble and Miranda sighed heavily. If she and Gordo were an accident that needed to happen, then Miranda and Larry were like an irreversible chemical reaction. Ever since that Party (that they hadn't needed to sneak into at all…) and the Kiss, Miranda had avoided Larry like the plague, other than the little longing glances towards him when she thought it was safe.

One thing that Liz couldn't understand was why Miranda still put so much stock in other people's opinions. Liz knew that she used to be the same way but after finding things she was good at (that wasn't rhythmic gymnastics…) and thank god puberty had given her a decent hand, she had stopped. Miranda was smart, hilarious, and a knockout. Some of her clothes/accessory designs could and should compete with the brands out there, she cooked well, and she had a great voice. Her self esteem should be much stronger than it was…

"Miranda, if Ethan really makes you happy, you should stay with him. But, if he doesn't, if you feel that something's missing and that you're more compatible with someone else, even if that _**someone**_ is a little weird, then you should be with them. Fuck what anyone around school and town has to say. The people who really care about being popular and "socially acceptable" dates are the ones who are gonna:** A)** get pregnant at Prom,** B)** never move away from town so they can keep their spotlight or** C)** get married and divorced like 8 times before dying in a houseful of cats and old yearbooks, bemoaning the glory days and what should've been. Plus, no matter who you're with, I'm still gonna be your best friend forever…"

"_Me too."_

"…and the people who can turn on you just because of who you're dating aren't people you want to be bothered with anyway. They can go fuck a duck."

A sniffle sounded and then, _"I think I liked it better before you two became an old married couple. You're not good for freaking out, anymore…"_

This time all 3 of them laughed and Miranda sighed.

"_I'll think about it, okay? I… guys, I'm confused and I'm tired and I'm hungry so I'm gonna get off the phone and go eat an empanada and hope I don't have weird dreams like earlier. Night."_

"_Goodnight, Miranda."_

"We'll talk tomorrow. Sweet dreams. David, are you still there?"

"_Yeah. Now, I'm not a betting man but…I think she and Tudgeman are definitely gonna become the next Power Couple of our class."_

"That's a done deal. Like, for reals. I just hope that it doesn't take as long as I think it's going to…or it won't be as dramatic. Jeez…why do I feel like we're about to get engulfed in the middle of a real life teen soap opera?"


End file.
